


Meddling [Extended Cut]

by machtaholic (cinderella81)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Gen, Haircuts, Headcanon, Makeover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-20 19:23:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9508880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderella81/pseuds/machtaholic
Summary: So I wrote the original headcanon calledMeddlingand decided to expand on it a bit.  Isabelle helps Jace to see his own potential ... gratuitous makeover fic.





	

Jace and Alec grew up training and hunting. Wake up, eat, train, eat, hunt, eat, shower, sleep. They got older, and puberty (whatever version of it) hit, but neither really noticed or cared. Shaggy hair, baggy clothes, they kept to the same routine as they did when they were younger.

Isabelle, however, consummate fashion plate that she is, definitely noticed. She could see Jace and Alec’s potential and hated to see it being wasted.

She started small. Replaced one piece of clothing here, one there. Jace and Alec didn’t really notice, not at first. Until they had nothing of their own left and everything that Isabelle had purchased for them. 

She got her hands on Alec first, batted her eyelashes, honeyed words to let him give her free reign. It’s perfect and Isabelle was thoroughly pleased with the results.

But Jace. Isabelle had yet to get him to see the light. She pondered the situation as she got dressed for her, Alec and Jace’s first solo hunt. She grabbed her weapons and headed to the front of the Institute to wait for Jace and Alec.

“You’re going out dressed like that, Izzy?”

Isabelle turned when she heard Jace’s voice, then frowned and looked him up and down. “I could say the same about you,” she said. “Our first solo hunt and you’re wearing that?”

Jace looked down at his clothes; utilitarian, black, easy to clean. “What’s wrong with them?”

“I thought I got rid of all of that out of your closet,” Isabelle said, tapping a toe on the tile floor impatiently.

“I hid these,” Jace admitted with a shrug, running a hand through his hair.

“Ugh,” Isabelle said. “Just because you’re a soldier, doesn’t mean you have to dress like one.” She motioned to her own outfit.

“That’s exactly what it means,” Jace replied. “I don’t need fancy clothes to fight. I just need my weapons.”

“You need more than that,” Isabelle said. “You need confidence.”

“I have plenty of confidence in my fighting abilities,” Jace said.

“Not that kind of confidence,” Isabelle countered. “Since you won’t listen to me, look with your own eyes.” Isabelle turned Jace so he could see Alec gearing up for their hunt, and all the people around him. Alec’s potential had been much closer to the surface than Jace’s. A good haircut, a lecture about good skincare and clothes that were functional and fashionable and Alec had been good to go.

“So?” Jace muttered, but he looked a bit defeated.

“You, Jace Wayland, have way more potential than you think. And tomorrow, after training, I’m going to show you how much potential you have.”

“I feel like I should be scared,” Jace muttered.

“You should be terrified,” Isabelle said. “I, however, am going to have a blast.”

“Doing what?” Alec asked as he joined Jace and Isabelle.

“Helping a friend see their potential,” Isabelle said. “Come on, let’s go.” She strode past her brothers, determination in her stride.

“You okay?” Alec asked Jace.

“Fine,” Jace replied with a sigh. “Just fine.”

* * *

Jace tried to avoid it. He got up a bit later than usual so he didn’t have to eat breakfast with Izzy. He trained longer and harder than usual, trying to avoid his sister. But she found him just after he’d finished lunch.

“You,” Izzy said. “Have been avoiding me.”

“Not at all,” Jace lied. “I’ve been training.”

“Mmmhmm,” Izzy said. “Come with me.” She grabbed him by the front of his tank top and tugged him to her room and into her en suite bathroom.

“Those clothes you were wearing last night are gone, by the way,” Izzy said.

“I noticed,” Jace muttered.

“You’ll see,” Izzy replied. “Now take off your shirt and sit down.”

Jace rolled his eyes and realized it was no use fighting with his sister. So he sighed, tugged his tank top off and sat down on the toilet seat, back facing Izzy. He jumped when she dropped a towel around his shoulders.

“Relax,” Izzy said. “This isn’t going to hurt.”

“Says you,” Jace replied. He felt the brush in his hair and bit back a sigh - he couldn’t remember the last time someone had brushed his hair for him. He felt himself relaxing under Izzy’s gentle touch.

“See?” Izzy said. She set the brush down and reached for a comb, creating a high part all around Jace’s head and securing the top with a couple of clips.

“What are you doing?” Jace asked.

“Just relax,” Izzy said. She rummaged around for a bit and came back with a pair of clippers she’d borrowed from a fellow Shadowhunter. She plugged them in and flicked them on.

“Shit!” Jace said, turning to look Izzy.

“Trust me,” Izzy said, turning Jace back around. “And put your head down.”

Jace sighed and dropped his head down. The clippers touched the base of his neck and he shivered. Pass after pass of the clippers and then Jace could feel cool air on the back and sides of his head. Finally the clippers turned off and Jace lifted his head.

“Done?” he asked.

“Step one is done,” Izzy said. She released the top of Jace’s hair and combed through it, trimming the split ends. She had trained quickly and spent time preparing for Jace. She reached under the sink and brought out a bowl and brush. “Now, step two.”

“How many steps are there?” Jace asked, shivering as he felt something cold on his scalp.

“As many as their need to be,” Izzy replied breezily as she worked. “Stop. Moving.” She smacked Jace on the shoulder.

“I should be training,” Jace muttered, trying not to fidget. There was no mirror in front of him, so he had absolutely no idea what Isabelle was doing to him. 

“You really need to learn the concept of pampering,” Isabelle said. “Okay, this sits for an hour.”

“An hour?” Jace said, starting to stand. “No. No way. Rinse whatever it is out now.”

“Quit it or I’ll bite,” Isabelle said. “Sit still and let the dye work.”

“Dye?” Jace said. 

“Bringing out your eyes,” Isabelle said, patting Jace’s shoulder. 

Jace hmphed and sat back down, hands in his lap. “You didn’t do this to Alec,” he muttered.

“Alec’s potential was much closer to the surface than yours,” Isabelle replied. “You, however, take work. You’ll see, I’ll unlock your potential, and you’ll thank me for it.”

“Joy.”

“Now, give me your hands,” Izzy said, sitting down in front of Jace.

“Why?” Jace asked.

“Your nails are terrible,” Izzy replied.

“So?”

“Imagine fighting off a demon, you make the wrong move and your fingernail gets ripped off,” Izzy said.

Jace winced and sighed, putting his hands in his sister’s lap. “Fine,” he said.

Izzy worked quickly, chatting about all the gossip at the Institute. She knew Jace didn’t care, but she wanted to keep his mind off what she was doing, keep him relaxed.

“Much better,” Izzy said, when she’d finished with Jace’s hands. “Okay, we can wash that out now.”

“Finally,” Jace said, moving over to the tub and leaning over so Izzy could wash the dye out of his hair. “Can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

“Oh please,” Izzy replied. “Like it was hard convincing you?” She finished washing Jace’s hair and dried a bit before letting him get up.

“So now what? Step four?” Jace said.

“I’m going to style and moisturize, then you’re going to get changed and see the whole thing,” Izzy said as she made Jace sit back down. She armed herself with a brush and a blowdryer and carefully styled Jace’s hair.

“Style and moisturize,” Jace muttered as he let Izzy work. “I could still get some training in.”

“No messing with my work,” Izzy said as she set the brush and blowdryer down and moved on to moisturizer.

“I can’t stop training,” Jace replied.

“I’m not asking you to,” Izzy said. “I still train.”

“True,” Jace admitted.

“Okay, no looking, but get changed,” Izzy said, passing him a pile of clothes and turning around to let him change.

Jace looked at the stack of clothes; all things from his closet, but things that Izzy had purchased for him. Socks, pants, boots, t-shirt and hooded vest - everything fit snugger, emphasizing his physique while still being functional.

“Decent,” Jace said.

Izzy turned around and squealed, clapping and bouncing happily. “I am a genius,” she said. “Come on, you have to see.” She reached for Jace’s hand and tugged him into her bedroom to the full length mirror.

The reflection Jace encountered made him stop. He still looked like himself but … not. “Woah,” he whispered.

“See? Unlocked potential.”


End file.
